Safety should be given top most priority: CM on Airport Metro

New Delhi: Upset over passing of buck by DMRC and Reliance Infrastructure over suspension of Airport Metro Express line, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday said safety parameters should be top most priority in operating trains on the 23-km high-speed corridor.

"There is passing of buck currently. That is why it was decided to go for an investigation by a third party. We are waiting for the report," Dikshit said.

Noting that the metro line linking New Delhi Railway station with the IGI airport is a "pride" of the city, Dikshit said safety parameters should be given highest priority.

"Safety and smooth train running are the most important issue. There should not be any compromise on safety parameters," she said.

Dikshit said the committee which is carrying out the third party inspection would soon submit its report to the Urban Development Ministry based on which appropriate action would be taken.

Services on the Airport Metro were suspended from July 8 after some faults on the civil structure was detected on the corridor. While Delhi Metro has built the civil structure on the line, Reliance Infra is responsible for operations and maintenance.

As it appeared that the blame was being shifted to Delhi Metro, its chief Mangu Singh dashed off a letter to Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath earlier this week apparently blaming Reliance Infrastructure for the current situation.

The Chief Minister said she has taken up the issue with DMRC chief Mangu Singh and asked him to look into the safety issues carefully.

"I have issued instructions to DMRC," she said. The DMRC is a joint venture between Urban Development Ministry and Delhi government.

In the letter written on July 11, Singh is believed to have blamed Reliance Infra for not detecting the defects in the bearings which are the interface between the pillar and girder.

A committee comprising officials from the Indian Railways, Delhi Metro and Reliance Infrastructure was set up for going into the nature of defects.